ArborBridge, the global leader in test preparation for students applying to university in the US, will be among the organizations sharing their perspective on the social, emotional, and educational lives of expats and TCKs. The events will take place the weekend of Saturday 12 October in The Hague, Netherlands, and will serve as a kickoff for Sea Change Mentoring's services.

Santa Monica, CA (PRWEB) October 02, 2013

It’s no secret that students face a long, challenging road through high school and on to college. Some have to extend that road by 5,000 miles – or more.

For American expatriates and ‘Third-Culture Kids,’ growing up in foreign cultures, and often learning in foreign education systems, can be incredibly exciting. But it also comes with seldom discussed downsides, like feelings of displacement, confusion, and unfamiliarity. Familial relationships can be strained, and friendships can too. Even the most worldly students face difficult choices when they apply to college and try to decide exactly where they will fit in.

All of these topics and more will be the focus of an unprecedented series of events for parents and their teenage children and professionals working in education and psychology. The events will take place the weekend of Saturday 12 October in The Hague, Netherlands, and will serve as a kickoff for Sea Change Mentoring's services.

ArborBridge, a global leader in test preparation for students applying to university in the United States, will be among the organizations sharing their perspective on the social, emotional, and educational lives of expats and TCKs. Longtime educator and college counselor Josh Stephens, ArborBridge’s Director of International Development, will be joining representatives of Families in Global Transition, Expat Kids Club, Passionate Parenting and the American School of The Hague.

“Education and emotional development are fascinating topics under any circumstances,” said Stephens. “To put them in an international setting makes them doubly fascinating. It’s a pleasure to be participating in conversations that can help families and students make the most of their global experiences and launch them to tremendous success as college students and adults.”

The events, which include a symposium, lecture, and workshop over the course of five days, are the brainchild of Ellen Mahoney, founder of Sea Change Mentoring, which is dedicated to providing social and emotional mentorship for expat kids around the world.

“All events aim to provide education and resources around how expat and ‘third culture kid’ young people can makes sense of their international identities, and use their backgrounds towards finding success at university, in their careers and personal lives,” said Mahoney. “Global citizenship, cross-cultural leadership, mental health awareness and resiliency will be recurring themes.”

“Ellen’s insight into these issues and her innovative approach to mentoring are impressive and inspiring,” said Stephens. “Ellen’s goals mirror ArborBridge’s mission to support students in their college application process, and we’re delighted to be joining her.”

Mahoney said she chose The Netherlands as the site of her kickoff event because of the country’s large and vibrant expatriate community and, in particular, The Hague’s status as a city of diplomacy and international business.

“Sea Change Mentoring is able launch this program in a community that is receptive and eager to learn more,” said Mahoney.

The Events:

Sea Change Symposium: October 12th, 1pm–4pm “Supporting Global Youth: Addressing Assets and Challenges” This symposium is a half-day conference that invites professionals in the business of supporting expat and third culture children and/or their families. Hear from experts on expat child psychology, college admissions and the expat student, third culture kids from non-traditional backgrounds and transition programs for international schools. Fee is 20 EUR online, 25 EUR at the door.

Global Success Lecture: October 14th, 6pm–8pm “Global Success: Preparing Expat Youth for Adulthood” Parents, educators, counselors and teens from all of the international schools in the area are welcome to attend this evening discussion on how young people must find ways to make the most of the experiences and skill-sets picked up in this global life while learning to recognize and prepare for some of the challenges they may face as they transition to adulthood.

Workshop at Passionate Parenting: October 17th, 2013 “Resiliency and the Third Culture Kid” Parents and teens are invited to attend this workshop on resilience and the expat teen. Topics covered include “What does resilience look like?”, “How do we develop this trait?” and “Why this is important?”

Dedicated to raising the test scores of students around the world, ArborBridge has helped hundreds of students from over 20 different countries maximize their potential on the SAT and ACT exams. Their students have seen SAT point increases exceeding 600 points and gained admission to top colleges like Stanford, Cal Tech, NYU, Columbia, Penn, and Georgetown. ArborBridge tutoring is live, one-on-one, and delivered online by elite American tutors using ArborBridge's proprietary SAT/ACT curriculum, specifically designed for online tutoring. ArborBridge was founded in 2011 by Tim Urban and Andrew Finn, who previously founded Launch Education Group, a premier in-person tutoring firm with offices in Los Angeles and Manhattan.

Josh Stephens, Director of International Development for ArborBridge, graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English and did his graduate work at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Josh taught at the Archer School in his native Los Angeles and thereafter served as lead editor for Application Boot Camp’s college counseling workshop and online application essay guidance, working with ambitious high school students across the United States and around the globe. Josh can be reached at Josh(at)ArborBridge(dot)com.

About Sea Change Mentoring:

Sea Change provides short-term guidance to parents and teens in international transitions, professional mentoring for Third Culture Kids and workshops for international communities. Sea Change Mentoring is the only online mentoring program of its kind for globally mobile teens and college students. The program combines the proven methodology of youth mentoring with innovative, interactive technology, evidence-based curriculum and professional mentors to provide the guidance and support the protégés need to smoothly transition into adulthood. Sea Change Mentoring is an international organization but is based in San Francisco, California.